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@Cruising-alongthe product is called "Gas Fireplace Glass Cleaners" and I believe it's made by the Imperial company. We purchased it at Canadian Tire, but very likely Lowe's or a hardware store would carry similar cleaners. Failing that, check with your fireplace stores, they're sure to carry it, but at an elevated cost. @marshhawkI'm afraid I'd be exactly like your friend re: claustrophobia. Just the thought of having a mask like that on me gives me the heebie jeebies. Credit to him for being able to get through it.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! G'mar chatimah tova to everyone who observes Yom Kippur. We don't golf; my dad used to enjoy a round once in a while when he wasn't working or farming or taking care of the family. Our DDIL enjoys a vanilla frappe from Starbucks - I had a sip once and they are de-licious ! ! ! Yay for all the animals in the world, may we protect and respect them. Except for the slimy, slithery, creepy crawly ones. Heading out in a couple of hours for breakfast with some retired colleagues. It's great getting together just to see how everyone is doing and what's going on in their lives. We all missed the gatherings during the pandemic and are fortunate to not have lost any from the group because of of Covid. After that, I've asked DH to remove the glass from both fireplaces so I can clean them and get them ready for another season. It's nice to see the fire rather than looking through smoke and soot to see the flames. @Cruzin Terriwishing you and your DH a very Happy Anniversary! @JazzyVHappy Birthday to you with many healthy returns of the day! @richwmn and @cunnorlsafe travels to both of you for tomorrow! Although it's still going to be nice today with a predicted high of +24c (75F), the temp is expected to dip way down overnight to 0 and only a high of +13, so I think although I'd love today's menu suggestion (DH doesn't care for lamb), I'll bring out a couple of chicken breasts and turn them into chicken kabobs for us. I think chicken kabobs and a Greek salad will make a nice dinner for us to enjoy on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, cheers to all the celebrants. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

It gave me some comfort knowing it's billed as a "Tranquility Cruise" rather than the "Headbanger Cruise" or the "How Much Can You Drink Between 11AM and 11PM Cruise." The only song I'm familiar with of Phil Coulter's is "Walking In The Air" which we have on CD and always play at Christmas - yes, it is very tranquil. We've been on cruises where there were groups involved (not with any of the above, thank goodness!) , and have found they often take over the main stage during the daytime hours for their concerts, and will sometimes have large groups dining at the same time in the main dining room. We're on from January 5th, so if this group is at all intrusive, we'll just retreat to our balcony and enjoy the world from there. I'm pretty sure we'll all be okay.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I'm so glad I married my last boyfriend; it would have been terrible to have been stuck with one of the others. Will definitely salute Child Health Day, especially with 2 littles in the family now. I'm not a techie, but can usually figure things out with the help of some online videos. DH, not so much. LOL You can tell fall is here by the lack of daylight in the mornings - I usually get up around 6 and it's pitch black. The evenings are getting shorter too, so we have to turn on the lights in the house around 5:30 - it's not going to get better for a few months! At least we don't have a lot of cold weather right now, we're still in the above freezing temperatures, and are keeping our fingers crossed that it stays that way for a while. I just realized I really didn't have any reaction to either the flu shot or my 3rd Covid booster, other than a slightly stiff upper arm for 1 day from the booster. I guess my body must be prepared to do battle this winter! @Cruzin TerriI'm so glad to hear you're finally on your way - safe travels and enjoy your 41st honeymoon! Not a lot going on today, just general clean up around the yard, doing battle with the pine cones and now falling leaves. DH likes to mulch the leaves as he mows the lawn, but we have to pick up the pine cones that the little squirrel drops all over the place. Because it's still nice out, I think we'll fire up the barbecue and grill some smokies tonight. Along with fresh corn on the cob and some coleslaw, I think it'll make a nice dinner for us on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, cheers to all the celebrants. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

OMG, you're not going to believe this . . . DH found my earring! It wasn't anywhere I thought it should be. He was blowing the leaves off the back patio when he spotted something sparkling in the debris, bent down and there it was! I am so relieved, and immediately thanked St. Anthony for the role I'm sure he played in this. I'm in a much better mood now! Thanks @kazu, DH checked my foot this morning and said it's only got a hint of pink where the nail broke the skin. I subjected it to the alcohol (not wine again), and peroxide treatment just to be on the safe side.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I've always respected custodians / janitors, because my Dad was the janitor at our town's movie theatre for many years. Later in life, I was tasked with showing newbies around the court house and told them in order to make their lives much easier, they had better seek out and show respect to both the custodians and the secretaries, as they are our greatest assets. Our cars don't have names, just Yours, Mine, and the Topless. Being carnivores, we are grateful for farm animals. I love today's quote - we will often go outside and enjoy the night sky. Well I called the drug store and grocery store, and neither has had an earring like mine turned in. I looked throughout the house and car, and even put a nylon stocking over the vacuum hose to check out the car, to no avail. I don't think St. Anthony's going to come through with this one. I did get one thing checked off my "to do" list yesterday, that was washing the living room windows. I got up on the ladder with the swiffer mop, but replaced the flimsy tissue with an old bath towel, had my pail of vinegar water and squeegee, and went to work. A short time later, we could actually see out of them again! Unfortunately, when I was coming off the ladder, I put my foot down and felt a sharp pain in the ball of my foot. I tried stepping on it again, and ouch - what the heck? I had stepped on a nail. DH in all his wisdom and glory had thought it a good idea to nail down the small tin ant trap so it wouldn't roll around in the wind, but it appears our friendly squirrel had been digging around and upturned it. I limped into the house where DH promptly brought out the alcohol (not wine) and peroxide. Fortunately I'd worn good shoes to go on the ladder, not just flip flops, so it wasn't deep, and also we'd updated our tetanus shots just a couple of years ago when we were planning on going to SE Asia. I checked it this morning and there's not a lot of redness, but will keep an eye on it. I like today's menu suggestion, and recall having it in Tokyo where we could select our ingredients and have it made in front of us. DH particularly liked that he could get just vegetables, while I enjoyed the rice with pickled daikon and tempura shrimp. Yum! Sadly, we won't be having any of that today, but will be going out for dinner with DH's daughter and her husband for their anniversary tonight. Not sure what we'll be having, but I'm sure it will be delicious. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, especially those affected by both Fiona and Ian, as well as the people of Ukraine. Cheers to all the celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Rabbit, Rabbit, White Rabbit. Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I enjoy coffee, hot and iced, although I'm in the decaf camp for health reasons. We're all getting older, so we'd better take care of our elders before we become them. As far as frugal fun goes, I've always told DH I'm a cheap date; I've never been a high maintenance girl needing diamonds and luxury. I had my 3rd booster yesterday, the Moderna bivalent dose, and the only side effect I'm having is a stiff upper arm. As everything seems to happen in 3's, it appears I'm the 3rd in the "lost earring department" - yesterday I wore a pair I'd purchased with our recently departed friend when we were in Aruba. We haggled together and were able to get a good price on tri-coloured gold hoops and were delighted to show our husbands our specials of the day. Well at the end of last evening I realized one was missing; it could have flicked off when I removed my mask before getting in the car at the pharmacy across town, or at the grocery store where we stopped on the way home, or in the yard when I was picking up pine cones in the late afternoon. Sigh. I guess I'm going to have to call on St. Anthony for help with this. @kpladyHappy Retirement! Welcome to the world where every night's a Friday and every day's a Saturday! @cunnorlHappy Birthday to your DH with many healthy returns of the day. Also, a very Happy Birthday to President Jimmy Carter who turns 98 today. Not a lot on the agenda today, just searching the house and car for the lost earring, maybe washing a window or two before the cold sets in, and that's about it. I think we'd both like today's menu suggestion, but we have a rotisserie chicken in the fridge that will be turned into hot chicken sandwiches with tossed salad for dinner tonight. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, especially all who have been affected by Fiona and Ian, and cheers for all the celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

That was me. I’m now feeling that we will be leaving the medallions with the pins on the ribbons at home so we aren’t made fun of. Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Gosh, I haven't had a mud pack in years, but I still recall how fresh my skin felt after the process. I don't know many vegetarians, so the hugs will have to wait, and yay for all the translators out there. Today I will be wearing my orange t-shirt and putting out the "Every Child Matters" flag on the front lawn to honour Truth & Reconciliation Day. Some provinces have declared today a holiday, but ours isn't one of them. I'm saddened by all the devastation we are seeing on tv from Ian - but am happy to see the Daily-ites checking in to tell us they are safe. Hopefully the rest will be able to come back and post here once their power is on. We had a beautiful day yesterday, coming within 2 degrees of breaking a 100 year old temperature record at a balmy +30C. Another good one in store for us today, but with a moderated +22C as the predicted high. Yesterday DH and I got our high dose seasonal flu shots and had no reactions, so we're good. Today I go across town and get my 3rd Covid booster, and then we'll be set to travel - woo hoo! I know I'd like today's menu suggestion, the drink of the day and the wine - a trifecta of goodness! However, it is Friday, so we'll pick up a pizza for dinner that we can enjoy on the deck in the late afternoon sunshine. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, especially for those impacted by Ian, and cheers for the celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We'll definitely celebrate Maritime Day, appreciate many of the sayings attributed to Confucius, and although we've never seen a play on Broadway, we've had many touring groups come through our city that we've enjoyed. We've been watching the television most of last night and are appalled at the devastation that Ian has brought to so many. Again, ever so grateful to live on the "frozen tundra" where we never have to deal with such things. We can deal with the cold and snow, no problem. I'm glad some of our Daily-ites are checking in so we don't worry about their safety. Yesterday just after returning from DH's 3rd Covid booster, we had a phone call from our local pharmacy asking if DH and I were interested in getting the high dose flu shot - you bet!! I jumped at the chance, because the more protection we have, the better off we are, so today at lunch time we're heading out to get our flu shots. And, beginning today they've opened up the age range for the bi-valent Covid vaccine booster to anyone over the age of 18, so I was able to secure an appointment for me for tomorrow. I'm going to have to be careful drinking wine so I don't end up looking like a fountain! Yesterday we received an email telling us that our favourite hotel in Barcelona is closing down on October 31st for renovations . . . we're booked in from Nov 1 to 5. Argh! Of course we had booked using the Black Friday special code, getting a great rate, now that we're just a month away from leaving, the hotels are limited and the prices are 3x higher! I'm waiting to hear back from them to see what they will do for us, but I'm not holding my breath. @summer slopesorry your mango tree took a tumble, but hope you will be able to revive it without any problems. @grapau27I do hope the lesions are able to be taken care of easily for you. Despite the fact that Fiona and Ian have wreaked havoc in their wakes, we've been blessed with wonderful weather - yesterday was +27C and today is expected to be +29C. Because we don't know how long this hot spell will last and we know we'll be indoors for many months, I think instead of making dinner tonight, we'll just head out and pick up some fast food to enjoy in the pergola tonight. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, especially those suffering from Fiona and Ian, and cheering for all the celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

No more Chivas!?!?

@dfishHa Ha, I knew Karma would come around and kick Mr. Foot Dragger in the pants sooner than later! And you're laughing all the way to the bank. Woo Hoo!!! Watching some footage on the Weather Channel - super scary stuff; continuing prayers for safety for all.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We'll both enjoy some suds this afternoon to celebrate National Beer Day; we try to be good neighbours and are blessed to be surrounded by them, and we are grateful for public lands. @dfishCongratulations on getting your new home - I love it !!!! It looks so nice; I'm envious of the kitchen in particular! I pulled up the Weather Channel on the PC this morning and saw your famous Jim Cantore at Punta Gorda - all I can say is YIKES!! I am adding my prayers for everyone's safety, as Ian sounds quite ominous and could leave a trail of devastation in his wake. DH had an appointment with the CPAP people yesterday as he simply couldn't adjust to the partial mask - he was fitted with a full mouth and nose that seems to have been much more comfortable. When I got up this morning, it was lying on the floor, but he quickly told me it was able to wear it until around 2AM - at least twice the length of time of the previous mask, so that's progress. I know it takes time, and some patience, but he doesn't have a lot of the latter. LOL We stopped in Nha Trang on our SE Asia cruise in 2019, but I can't locate my photos. I remember spending the day visiting the embroidery factory, driving past miles and miles of rice fields, watching the construction of grass mats and cone shaped hats by people with endless amounts of patience. A couple of highlights were seeing how rice noodles were made (in someone's back yard - no factory there!!), and DH got to sit on a water buffalo - I went over to the sweet animal and he nuzzled me just like a big dog would. I like today's wine suggestion - do you seriously think I could refuse one with notes of black cherry, cola and milk chocolate? Here's my glass, fill 'er up! I'm thinking I'd like today's menu suggestion if it was served to me, but won't be making it for ourselves. We have lovely leftovers from last night's dinner with our friend - we went to a Greek restaurant and brought home half of our meals, as they were huge. I've got delicious lamb chops and lemon roast potatoes, while DH has a double pork chop with garlic mashed potatoes that we'll enjoy on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is hurting and especially those in Ian's path. We'll cheer on all who have celebrations to enjoy. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

That's great news; hopefully you and your sister will soon be the owners of a new home and can start thinking about where you'll unpack!

Good afternoon, time for a mid-afternoon check in. I was ahead of myself this morning, thinking it was Wednesday; DH has his booster tomorrow afternoon. And, instead of making chicken for dinner tonight, our friend called and will be taking us out for dinner as a thank you for officiating at Melodie's celebration of life. @Cruising-alongwishing you and DH a very Happy Anniversary, with many more years of love and laughter ahead! @Horizon chaser 1957Bon Voyage; have a wonderful time - I look forward to your blog entries! @Quartzsite Cruiserthat's great news about DH's appointment for tomorrow - I hope it goes well. @aliaschiefwoo hoo for the new dishwasher!! @kazuI think you are wise to make arrangements to be away from home for the holidays; it can be tough enough at the best of times, let alone during the holiday season. Sending good vibes to all in Ian's path, whether he turns into a tropical storm, or a full blown you-know-what, I hope everyone stays safe.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Now that Canada is removing Covid restrictions effective Oct 1, we should have more tourists coming here. We voted in a by-election yesterday; neither of us has missed a vote since we became eligible because if you don't vote, you don't have a right to complain. LOL Forgiveness can be tough, but forgetting can be more difficult. It's a cool 7C (45F) this morning, but will warm up to a nice 24C (75F) later today; strange weather for the end of September, but we live in strange times. Tomorrow's high is predicted at 29C (85F), so it might have been a little hasty for me to have put away the summer tops and capris! Did anyone go out last night to see Jupiter? We walked to the park at the end of our block (5 houses away) and sat there for a while looking at it; it looked like an incoming aircraft, except that it never moved. It is the brightest it's been in 59 years, and for once we had clear skies to see a celestial event. I've been watching the news reports for our friends in Florida, Georgia et al, and worry for you - hopefully Ian fizzles out and doesn't cause the damage that folks are predicting. Taking DH for his 3rd booster today; I'll be able to get mine when the next age group opens up. I'd like us to get our 3rd boosters and flu shots before our trip and just checked online - flu shots should be available in October - just in time, I'm thinking! I like today's menu suggestion and think that might be a good option for us - skillet chicken with garlic herb butter sauce sounds great - combine that with some dilled potatoes and asparagus will make a great meal for us on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, especially those having to clean up after Fiona, and cheers for the celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Although I only speak 1 language fluently (2 if you count sarcasm), I do try to learn a few words of the language where we will be visiting before each cruise. Yay for Johnny Appleseed - I love apples. We are grateful that we have family we can visit and know they are safe. What should be a peaceful, quiet Monday morning is turning into a loud one - a new home is being built behind us about 2 houses away. Not sure what the machines are doing, but there's a lot of crashing and thumping going on; I hope it doesn't continue throughout the entire day. Maybe we'll have to go shopping to escape the noise - at least that's the excuse I'll use. LOL Not a lot happening here today; I think I'll have to go through the credit card bills to see what I can shred (a monthly task once the statement comes in), and what needs to be saved for warranties, etc. It's a rather thankless task, but has proven helpful once or twice when questioning a charge on the statement. @ottahand7will definitely offer up a prayer for Frank to recover from his broken hip. @kazuI'm glad you escaped most of the wrath of Fiona and hope Ian veers off to spare you more trouble. @dfish keeping my fingers crossed that your offer is accepted on the new house. I like today's menu suggestion; a liquid dinner instead of a liquid lunch. LOL I think we'll be having panko crusted salmon along with dilled potatoes and a salad for dinner on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, cheers to all with great things to celebrate. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Unfortunately the tux rental company CruiseLineFormal went out of business; DH rented from there a couple of times before purchasing his own. If you want to wear a tux on "Dressy" nights, you'll have to rent one from your home town/city and bring it along with you. That's what a friend of ours is doing for our Caribbean cruise in January; DH wasn't going to bring his this time, but since his friend is going to have one, he figured he might as well dress up as well. We do enjoy dressing up for special nights on a cruise, as we have so few opportunities to do so at home. Enjoy whatever you bring to wear!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Shanah Tovah to all who are celebrating Rosh Hoshanah today. It's interesting that we have World Deaf Day just after having Sign Language Day. I haven't read a comic book in ages, but do read the comic strips in the daily newspaper. Wow, watching the news coverage of Fiona, and now the brooding Ian makes me so grateful to be living on the "frozen tundra"! We don't have to worry about our houses being washed away or flooded out. I saw photos this morning of one home in Cape Breton that was filled with sea foam - just imagine how awful that must be; and the smell!! @kazuI'm so glad you're safe and hope there's little to no damage to your trees and property. @smitty34877so glad Camilla's dad was able to get word back that they were safe; I think I'd be mainlining the meclizine if I had to be out there! LOL @dfishwill keep my fingers crossed that your offer is accepted - quickly - and that the home is everything you are both looking for. A quiet Sunday is in the offing for us - DH will drive his topless car out of town to the storage centre where it will rest for the winter. Our neighbour stores his boat there as well, so they'll travel together and DH will get a ride home with him. I may take that time to do a quick shopping run to see what clothes I might find for our upcoming cruise. Like most of you, I don't need anything, but it's always nice to find something new to add to the wardrobe. I like today's menu suggestion, and had planned on making a small casserole of baked spaghetti for us today. I think in my shopping trip I'll check to see if I can find any smoked mozzarella to add to the mix so we can enjoy it for dinner on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for those who are hurting, especially those in the path of Fiona and Ian, and cheers to the celebrations. Stay safe, everyone! Smooth Sailing! 🙂🙂🙂 Gerry

Bon Voyage everyone !!!

Thanks @Seasick Sailor and @kochleffelthat's the confirmation I needed - I just placed an order for one. Speed really isn't an issue, as he's not very technologically savvy . . . as he puts it, he's still rubbing sticks together to make fire. LOL Thanks again, Gerry

Checking in for the afternoon with a question from my knowledgeable Daily-ites. I'm thinking of ordering an Amazon Fire 8" for DH to use on the ship - now the question, would that be able to connect to the internet so he can read our daily newspaper and his Economist e-magazine? I've got my iPad mini that I'll be using because I've got a boatload (pardon the pun) of books downloaded on it to keep me busy and happy during the trans-Atlantic portion of our cruise, and being selfish, I don't want to have to share it with him. Help? Gerry